ADULT CLASSES

GENERAL INFORMATION

OBT offers a wide variety of opportunities for adults who would like to begin or continue their study of dance. Classes take place in the professional studios of OBT and are taught by experienced Teaching Artists who are committed to adult education.

Adult Class Registration and Release Form
All new students are required to complete an Adult Class Registration and Release form. All continuing students are required to complete a new Adult Class.
Registration and Release form at the beginning of each Fall term.

Age Requirements
All students must be 16 years of age or older. Only students from the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre (SOBT), Level 4 and higher, may be offered an
exception to the age requirement. All students under the age of 18 years must have the Adult Class Registration and Release signed by a parent/guardian before any class is taken.

Drop-in Classes
Current class rates are listed on the Adult Class Schedule. SOBT students, who have permission to attend adult class, will be charged $7.00 (cash only) per drop-in class. We are unable to offer professional discounts to visiting dancers. Drop-in class students may pay a single class charge or purchase a discounted, multiple-class card. All sessions on class cards must be redeemed within 2 months for a 5-class card or within 4 months for a 10-class card, regardless of injury, illness, change in work/personal schedule, etc. There will be no refunds for used or unused sessions on class cards. Once class begins, all class cards will be marked one session, despite partial class attendance (i.e., barre only). Class cards are nontransferable and cannot be shared. Students should take a trial class ($16; non-refundable) to discern if a class is of an appropriate level. Adult classes are offered at beginning and intermediate levels only and are designed for flat ballet shoes. Please speak with the instructor if pointe shoe use is desired. Students will be considered for pointe work only if they have had at least two years of previous instruction en pointe within the last three years. Students must defer to the instructor’s discretion regarding pointe shoe use in class. If a drop-in class does not meet an average minimum capacity of 10 students, we reserve the right to cancel. **NEW** Please check the SOBT Blog, on the day of your class, for any class cancellation notifications. Maximum capacity of a drop-in class is 35 students.

Workshops
Current workshop rates are listed on the Adult Class Schedule. All workshops require pre-registration by email (leave name, phone number, workshop choice) on a first-come, first-serve basis. If full, a waiting list will be maintained. A deposit is not required. Workshop payment is due, in full, on the evening of the first class. Payment plans are not accepted. As an exception to our thirty-minute arrival rule, please arrive thirty to sixty minutes before the first workshop class to complete registration paperwork and to make payment. Workshops will not be prorated if a student joins within the first three class sessions. New students will not be allowed to join a workshop in session after its third class unless approved by the instructor after a trial class ($16.00; non-refundable). **NEW** If a student is given permission to join after the initial three weeks, all remaining classes will be prorated at $14.00 per class. If a student drops out of a workshop due to an injury or illness of more than three weeks, tuition may be prorated to the next workshop of the same level. A doctor’s note will be required. The decision to prorate tuition is at the discretion of the Administrative Director. If a student drops out of a workshop due to personal or work-related conflicts, tuition will not be refunded or prorated to another workshop. There are no exceptions to this policy. Please be sure your schedule is free before you commit to a workshop. Beginning Ballet Workshop participants will be allowed to make-up one absence in the evening Ballet 1 drop-in class; we must be notified of the absence and the make-up class date prior to make-up class attendance. Absolute Beginning Ballet Workshop participants do not have a make-up option available. SOBT reserves the right to move or remove students to and from workshop levels at the discretion of the instructor. If, after 3 weeks, a workshop does not meet a minimum capacity of 15 students, we reserve the right to cancel. **NEW** A cancellation by SOBT will result in a prorated refund ($12.00 per remaining classes). Maximum capacity of a workshop is 30 students.

Parking

Parking in our lot is by permit only and is reserved for Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) employee use during business hours. Adult students may not park in the three-sided parking lot, Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:15 PM. Please find nearby street parking.

On Saturday, the lot has no time restrictions and is available to all adult students, SOBT students, and SOBT parents with the following restrictions:

No parking in spaces #17, #18, and #19 (reserved for SOBT staff).

No parking in the two Handicapped Parking spaces in the back lot (unless you have a permit to do so).

Adult students are nottoarriveearlierthan30minutespriortoclass and aretodepartnolaterthan15minutesafterclass.

Adult students must sign-in at the SOBT reception desk. The first and last name must be legibly written on the check-in sheet.

Only water is allowed in the studio. Absolutely no other drinks (sports drinks, coffee, etc.) or food are allowed. Gum is prohibited.

Please turn off/set to silence or vibrate all cell phones and pagers upon entering the building.

**NEW** All personal items should be taken into the studio and neatly stored along the front and side walls. Do not store belongings under the center barres. Use of the cubbies across from the main floor restrooms is at each student’s risk. CubbiesmaynotbeusedonSaturdaymornings. SOBT is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Our pianos are professionally tuned each month. Unless permission is given, only accompanists may touch, move, or play the pianos.

Classes are not available for observation by friends or family.

Class Tardiness
Proper warm-up is necessary for injury prevention. These exercises commence at the beginning of class. Any student arriving 10 or more minutes after the
class start time will not be admitted. Per teacher request, this policy will be strictly enforced.

Dress Code/Personal Hygiene

NEW:Changing is prohibited in downstairs student dressing rooms. Adult students may use the restrooms for changing, although we encourage adult students to wear class attire under street clothes.

Adults are free to wear comfortable dance attire of their choice. Keep in mind, though, that the instructor needs to see the student’s body’s lines in order to make corrections. Leotards, tights, and skirts are suggested, but are not mandatory. Tighter-fitting yoga clothes are popular choices. Gentlemen, dance belts must be worn with tights, leggings, jazz pants, or sweat pants. Jeans are not acceptable. Instructors reserve the right to require specific attire for their classes. Any such requirement will be noted under the class description. Students not following any instructor-required dress code will be asked to change or leave class.

Proper dance shoes must be worn at all times. Appropriate dance shoes include flat ballet slippers, pointe shoes, jazz shoes, or flamenco shoes. Street shoes, lyrical sandals, modern dance sole protectors, socks, and bare feet are prohibited in the studios. This footwear policy applies to all adult classes in all disciplines, including jazz and modern where bare feet are usually acceptable. Enforcement of this rule is for the safety of all SOBT students and OBT Company dancers. Any student disobeying this rule will be asked to leave.

As a courtesy to fellow students, please use deodorant. Offensive personal hygiene will be confidentially addressed and may be grounds for dismissal from class.

**NEW** Laundering of dance attire is expected after every class. We reserve the right to ask students to leave class if odor is a continual issue.

No body lotion or oils are to be worn as they can create slick spots on the floor (via sweat and/or direct body contact).

Student Contact Information
It will remain each student’s responsibility to keep SOBT updated with current contact information (email address and home/mobile phone numbers). Updated information should be given to the receptionist upon check-in or sent by email.

Inclement Weather
During weekdays, SOBT follows the inclement weather protocol dictated by Portland Public Schools (PPS). If the PPS district cancels academic classes for
a particular day, morning and evening classes at SOBT will also be canceled. If the PPS district announces a late start, morning classes will be canceled;
evening class status will need to be checked by the student. All class weather-related cancellations will be noted on the SOBT Blog (blog address is
below). Saturday class information will be posted on the SOBT Blog as well. Click directly on “SOBT BLOG” to open and maximize the posting. Depending on the situation, we may try to notify students of cancellations by email or phone. Our answering phone message may not reflect current information,
especially if staff cannot make it in to update the message. The SOBT Blog should always remain your first method of notification.

Tickets to SOBT/OBT Productions
All 10-class card holders and workshop participants are invited to purchase up to 4 tickets at a 25% discount to OBT repertory productions (any area) and a 50% discount to The Nutcracker (areas 1-4 only). Tickets may be limited to specific days and times. Please inquire at the OBT Box Office for details. Ticket purchase must be made by the tuition paying adult student with the OBT box office, offer not available online.

Injuries
Any injuries occurring on OBT property must be reported to the instructor and/or receptionist immediately.

Non-Discrimination
SOBT does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, color, or national/ethnic origin in administration of its admission criteria, education policies, scholarship programs, or any other school-administered programs or activities.

Right to Refuse Service
SOBT reserves the right to deny service, enrollment, and/or revoke previously awarded privileges at the discretion of the School Director or Administrative Director.

We welcome your comments as we strive to better our Adult Program! Any input will be addressed and/or considered if feasibly possible. Please remember, though, we are constrained by studio space, teacher availability, and the simple economics of low-attendance classes.

CONTACT INFORMATION

SOBT Receptionist:
503.227.6890
(will transfer to voice mail during daytime hours; messages will be returned in the late afternoon / evening)schoolofobt@obt.org